A JUST CHOICE
A JUST CHOICE
The Pandavas were five brothers. They were princes. The eldest of the Pandavas was Yudhhishthira, who was a man of truth.
The Kauravas drove the Pandavas into the forest where the streams and rivers were dry because there had been no rain. The Pandavas felt a great thirst, but they could not find water anywhere. They thought they would die of thirst.
Yudhishthira then siad to his half-brother Nakula : "Nakula, son of Madri, climb that tree, look everywhere, and see if there is any water. Look for plants for they will be a sign of water."
Then Nakula climbed the tree. He looked everywhere. At last he saw some plants and birds in the distance. It seemed as if there was a pool there. "Go, then, Nakula," said Yudhishthira, "and get some water to drink."
Nakula set out towards the place was a clear pool , and on the edge of it he saw some cranes.
But the prince did not care about these birds. The water looked sweet and cool, and he was almost dying of thirst. So he fell down on his knees and put his head to the clear pool till his lips touched the water.
"Stop!" cried a Voice. "Stop, young man! Do not drink till you have obeyed the law of this pool. No one may dink here till he has answered the questions I ask. If you take even a drop of water before you answer my questions, drop of water before you answer my questions, you will die at once,"
Nakula paid no attention to the Voice and drank from the pool. The next moment he fell dead among the plants growing near the water.
Yudhishthira and his brothers waited for hours, but Nakula did not return. At last Yudhishthira said : "Sahadeva ! I do not know why your brother has not returned with the water. Go and get some water for us."
When Sahadeva reached the pool, he saw Nakula lying dead. His heart was filled with grief, but his thirst was so great that he did not stay to weep over his dead brother, and he knelt down to drink.
"Wait !" cried a loud Voice. "Do not take one drop of this water until you have replied to my questions: if you do, you will die."
The prince said nothing. He bent over the pool and began to drink. He had drunk only a little water when he too fell upon the earth dead..
When Sahadeva also failed to return, Yudhishthira became very anxious. Turning to Arjuna, he said : "Go to the pool, my brother, and get us some water."
Arjuna went straight to the pool. When be got there he saw his two brothers lying dead near the water. He looked around, that he felt that he must drink. So he bent down.
"Beware !" cried a Voice. "Do not drink until you have answered my qustions. If you drink, you will die."
At first Arjuna was afraid. He thought as if a ghost was speaking to replied.
He shot one arrow this way among the plants, and another among the trees ; but he saw no man.
So Arjuna knelt and put his lips to the water. As his lips touched the water, he also fell dead.
Yudhishthira waited and waited. At last he said : "Dear Bhima, will you go and get us some water to drink ? I wonder why your brothers have not returned."
Bhima rose slowly and hurried towwards the pool. He felt brothers. But so great was his thirst that he knelt down to drink.
"Stop !" said the Voice. Don't drink until you have answered my questions, or you will die at once."
And Bhima also tried to drink and he died. he lay dead with his three brothers by the pool.
There was silence in the forest, except for the sounds of birds and animals. Yudhishthira sat alone. He was worried because his brothers had not returned. At last he got up, and slowly made his way to the pool.
His heart was filled with grief when he say his four brothers lying dead side by side Someone had surely killed them. He looked everywhere but saw no one. He felt great sorrow. However, he bent down towards the water where the plant and flowers grew.
"Stop !" cried the Voice. "Unless you answer my question before drinking you will die. That is the law of this pace. I, the old crane, rule over this pool, and I forbid you to drink."
Yudhishthira thought that it was the voice of some spirit. So he said : " Before I answer your questions, please tell me who you are. No crane can have such power. Surely you must be some being from another world."
"Yes, you are right," said the bired, "I am a yaksha, the Spirit of the woods I rule over this pool. I have masde a rule that anyone who wants my questions, or he will die at once."
"Ask your questions," said Yudhishthira.
"I shall answer them as well as I can."
Then Yaksha asked several questions, and Yudhishthirare replied to each.
Yaksha-Which is the best road to heaven?
Yudhishthira-Virtue is the best road to heaven.
Yaksha-Which is the best of virtues ?
Yudhishthira-The best virtue is to hate no one.
Yudhishthira- Anger is the worst enemy of man.
Yaksha-Who is rich and poor at the same thime ?
Yudhishthira-The man who has much but gives nothing.
Yaksha-How can a poor man become rich ?
Yudhishthira-A poor man can become rich by being contented.
Yaksha-What is heavier than the worid and higher than the clouds ?
Yudhishthira-The love of a father and mother.
Yaksha-How can a man be happy ?
Yudhishthira-By telling the truth and by being kind.
Yaksha-Who is the greatest man of all ?
Yudhishthira-He who is always the same, in joy and in sorrow.
Then Yaksha said : "You have answered my questtions well. Now you may drink waster. I shall grant you a favour. Name one of your brothers and he will live again."
Said Yudhishthira : "Let Nakula, son of Madri, come back to life,"
"But he is only your half-brother," said the crane. "Do you not want your real brothers Bhima and Arjuna to live again ? Do you not love them ?"
"Yes, I love them," said Yudhishthira.
"But i want Nakula to come back to life."
"Why ?"
"Because he is the son Madri and I am the son of Kunti. Now after thirteen Years, we shall go back home, and the two queens will come and receive us. They will see two of the five brothers. If madri sees that her two sons are dead, she will be very sad and her heart will break. Therefore, O Spirit, let us be kind to the mothers and let one son of each bring joy to them."
Then Yaksha said, "I am Dharma, the God of Justice. I wanted to know if you were just i find that you are really so. I am very pleased with your choice. Let all your brother live."
And the four brothers came back to life.
The Pandavas were five brothers. They were princes. The eldest of the Pandavas was Yudhhishthira, who was a man of truth.
The Kauravas drove the Pandavas into the forest where the streams and rivers were dry because there had been no rain. The Pandavas felt a great thirst, but they could not find water anywhere. They thought they would die of thirst.
Yudhishthira then siad to his half-brother Nakula : "Nakula, son of Madri, climb that tree, look everywhere, and see if there is any water. Look for plants for they will be a sign of water."
Then Nakula climbed the tree. He looked everywhere. At last he saw some plants and birds in the distance. It seemed as if there was a pool there. "Go, then, Nakula," said Yudhishthira, "and get some water to drink."
Nakula set out towards the place was a clear pool , and on the edge of it he saw some cranes.
But the prince did not care about these birds. The water looked sweet and cool, and he was almost dying of thirst. So he fell down on his knees and put his head to the clear pool till his lips touched the water.
"Stop!" cried a Voice. "Stop, young man! Do not drink till you have obeyed the law of this pool. No one may dink here till he has answered the questions I ask. If you take even a drop of water before you answer my questions, drop of water before you answer my questions, you will die at once,"
Nakula paid no attention to the Voice and drank from the pool. The next moment he fell dead among the plants growing near the water.
Yudhishthira and his brothers waited for hours, but Nakula did not return. At last Yudhishthira said : "Sahadeva ! I do not know why your brother has not returned with the water. Go and get some water for us."
When Sahadeva reached the pool, he saw Nakula lying dead. His heart was filled with grief, but his thirst was so great that he did not stay to weep over his dead brother, and he knelt down to drink.
"Wait !" cried a loud Voice. "Do not take one drop of this water until you have replied to my questions: if you do, you will die."
The prince said nothing. He bent over the pool and began to drink. He had drunk only a little water when he too fell upon the earth dead..
When Sahadeva also failed to return, Yudhishthira became very anxious. Turning to Arjuna, he said : "Go to the pool, my brother, and get us some water."
Arjuna went straight to the pool. When be got there he saw his two brothers lying dead near the water. He looked around, that he felt that he must drink. So he bent down.
"Beware !" cried a Voice. "Do not drink until you have answered my qustions. If you drink, you will die."
At first Arjuna was afraid. He thought as if a ghost was speaking to replied.
He shot one arrow this way among the plants, and another among the trees ; but he saw no man.
So Arjuna knelt and put his lips to the water. As his lips touched the water, he also fell dead.
Yudhishthira waited and waited. At last he said : "Dear Bhima, will you go and get us some water to drink ? I wonder why your brothers have not returned."
Bhima rose slowly and hurried towwards the pool. He felt brothers. But so great was his thirst that he knelt down to drink.
"Stop !" said the Voice. Don't drink until you have answered my questions, or you will die at once."
And Bhima also tried to drink and he died. he lay dead with his three brothers by the pool.
There was silence in the forest, except for the sounds of birds and animals. Yudhishthira sat alone. He was worried because his brothers had not returned. At last he got up, and slowly made his way to the pool.
His heart was filled with grief when he say his four brothers lying dead side by side Someone had surely killed them. He looked everywhere but saw no one. He felt great sorrow. However, he bent down towards the water where the plant and flowers grew.
"Stop !" cried the Voice. "Unless you answer my question before drinking you will die. That is the law of this pace. I, the old crane, rule over this pool, and I forbid you to drink."
Yudhishthira thought that it was the voice of some spirit. So he said : " Before I answer your questions, please tell me who you are. No crane can have such power. Surely you must be some being from another world."
"Yes, you are right," said the bired, "I am a yaksha, the Spirit of the woods I rule over this pool. I have masde a rule that anyone who wants my questions, or he will die at once."
"Ask your questions," said Yudhishthira.
"I shall answer them as well as I can."
Then Yaksha asked several questions, and Yudhishthirare replied to each.
Yaksha-Which is the best road to heaven?
Yudhishthira-Virtue is the best road to heaven.
Yaksha-Which is the best of virtues ?
Yudhishthira-The best virtue is to hate no one.
Yudhishthira- Anger is the worst enemy of man.
Yaksha-Who is rich and poor at the same thime ?
Yudhishthira-The man who has much but gives nothing.
Yaksha-How can a poor man become rich ?
Yudhishthira-A poor man can become rich by being contented.
Yaksha-What is heavier than the worid and higher than the clouds ?
Yudhishthira-The love of a father and mother.
Yaksha-How can a man be happy ?
Yudhishthira-By telling the truth and by being kind.
Yaksha-Who is the greatest man of all ?
Yudhishthira-He who is always the same, in joy and in sorrow.
Then Yaksha said : "You have answered my questtions well. Now you may drink waster. I shall grant you a favour. Name one of your brothers and he will live again."
Said Yudhishthira : "Let Nakula, son of Madri, come back to life,"
"But he is only your half-brother," said the crane. "Do you not want your real brothers Bhima and Arjuna to live again ? Do you not love them ?"
"Yes, I love them," said Yudhishthira.
"But i want Nakula to come back to life."
"Why ?"
"Because he is the son Madri and I am the son of Kunti. Now after thirteen Years, we shall go back home, and the two queens will come and receive us. They will see two of the five brothers. If madri sees that her two sons are dead, she will be very sad and her heart will break. Therefore, O Spirit, let us be kind to the mothers and let one son of each bring joy to them."
Then Yaksha said, "I am Dharma, the God of Justice. I wanted to know if you were just i find that you are really so. I am very pleased with your choice. Let all your brother live."
And the four brothers came back to life.
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